Russian state is falsely claims that Ukraine has “repeated” the “Bucha provocation.” Russia was responsible for Bucha, and this has been confirmed by independent analysts, journalists, NGOs, and multiple governments. Given its pattern of behavior, Russia may have massacred civilians in Kharkiv and is attempting to deflect blame.
The RussiaUN Twitter account first made the claim and it was retweeted by Russian embassy accounts for Montenegro, Israel, as well as some accounts that are likely fake. The same false claims also appeared on the Russian MFA Telegram channel.
The RussiaUN tweet linked an article that makes extreme claims with no evidence citing “reliable sources.” The document which was shared by the Russian UN account on Twitter says:
“According to reliable information, the Kiev regime has carried out another bloody action in Kharkov Region based on the Bucha scenario” and “We warn in advance that these and other materials fabricated by the Kiev regime about alleged ‘Russian atrocities’ are soon to be widely spread through the Western and Ukrainian media, as well as online resources.”
The post also alleges that “Norwegian media” witnessed attacks on Russian civilians, but doesn’t cite any sources. We have not been able to locate any reports. Russia claims to have evidence, so Hoaxlines advises that people be aware of the potential for doctored videos and to only share what can be verified.